Model-free based control of a gripper actuated by pneumatic muscles

In this article, a model-free based control strategy is applied to a gripper activated by Mckibben’s pneumatic muscles. The gripper is composed of three fingers and is based on an original mechanical design to grip a large range of objects (by a weight, size, form, … point-of-view). A model-free based control strategy is proposed to manage the force control phases. An experimental setup is introduced to experimentally test and validate the proposed control strategy using a very simple setup composed of a single force sensor, an embedded electronic board, and a single pressure proportional solenoid valve. [Display omitted] •A model-free control applied to a gripper actuator by Mckibben’s pneumatic muscles.•Control of the contact force between the fingers and the object.•Experimentation on a prototype.